The 20th Jubilee edition of the SPORTO Conference took place in Portorož on November 21st and 22nd, marking the largest gathering of professionals in sports marketing and sponsorship in this part of Europe. SPORTO provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and developments in the sports industry. This year’s program featured a diverse range of topics, including the Anatomy of the Fan, Creativity in Sponsorships, Sports Revenue Model Challenges, the Emerging Athlete Era, Fashion Partnerships, and much more. Here is a summary of the conference.
The conference kicked off with Misha Sher, Global Head of Sport, Entertainment, and Culture at Essence Mediacom, who delivered a keynote on Cannes-Worthy Sponsorships: Creativity That Earns Attention. Sher emphasized how sport has evolved into a powerful cultural force, driving economic growth and fostering deep connections. He shared insights on why many sponsorships fail to resonate, stressing that brands that successfully contribute to the voice of the consumer are the ones that stand out. The key takeaways from his talk were: know your audience, create meaningful value, focus on quality over quantity, and, as Sher put it, “the shortest distance between two people is a story.”
Alex Carera, founder of A&J All Sports and one of the leading cycling agents, kicked off the SPORTO Talk by stating, “When you have passion, you do not work every day. Passion is the key to great results.” Carera shared his journey from working for another sports agent to establishing a successful cycling business. His passion for the sport allowed him to solve athletes’ problems and contribute to their success. He also discussed his experience with Tadej Pogačar, the world’s top cyclist, and reflected on how many athletes have potential but need the right support to succeed.
Richard Ayers, IMG Advisor and Founder of Rematch, discussed the balance between change and continuity in sports. He highlighted the growing influence of athletes, the impact of an aging population, the increasing role of AI in sports, and the industry’s efforts to create shorter, immersive digital content. “Everything has changed, yet at the same time, nothing has,” he said, adding, “The future is immersion!” Ayers stressed that the goal remains to engage the audience, encourage participation, and keep them invested in the sport.
Thomas van Schaik, co-founder of The Athlete Brand, explored the emerging athlete era and the rapid changes taking place in sports. He pointed out that the cumulative social media reach of the NBA, FIFA, NFL, MLB, and NHL already stands at 415 million, with individual star athletes now having a greater reach than entire teams. Van Schaik emphasized that building a personal brand is about being distinctive, consistent, and visible. However, he also highlighted key challenges such as the lack of strategy, differentiation, and digital capability in the industry.
Ben Wells, CEO of PTI Digital, delved into the challenges and opportunities within the UK sports commercial model, focusing on the impact of economic pressures, technological advancements, and generational shifts. Despite the significant investments in digital platforms, Wells noted that many rights-holders are struggling to monetize their data effectively. He pointed out that 50% of rights-holders monetize less than 10% of their data, and 88% lack an integrated data strategy. Wells argued that technology should serve as an enabler of human strategy, encouraging better integration of data and technology to drive sustainable growth.
A panel of four speakers shared insights on sponsorship strategies during major sports events in 2024 (UEFA EURO and the Paris Olympics). Alenka Potočnik Anžič (Hisense) focused on consistent sponsorship goals, media exposure, sales growth, and aligning sponsorship activation with UEFA’s VAR technology, achieving a 20% sales increase despite challenges such as limited resources. She emphasized the importance of good planning. Tanja Dimitrova from Lidl Slovenia discussed the company’s first major international sponsorship experience with UEFA EURO, leveraging its home country location to create a global campaign promoting exercise, healthy lifestyles, and product quality, highlighting innovation and customer care as key takeaways. Niko Kušar from Telekom Slovenije, operating in a saturated market, used its Team Slovenia Olympic campaign to address online hate speech and reshape brand perception by aligning athletes with core values, achieving its goals through a strong platform of positivity. Maša Puklavec Polutnik from I Feel Slovenia partnered with the Olympic Committee to showcase Slovenia’s natural beauty and sports excellence through leading athletes, using the Slovenian House to build national pride and connect sports with tourism. They overcame time and communication challenges by leveraging a strong national brand and athlete partnerships.
Paddy Carberry, the global sports marketing manager for the iconic beer brand Guinness, highlighted how the brand empowers countries to personalize its identity while maintaining its cultural relevance and magnetic appeal. He discussed Guinness’ commitment to supporting women’s rugby and addressing topics such as discrimination through diverse storytelling. Carberry also revealed some insights connected to the launch of its largest-ever partnership in the Premier League, with a focus on regional personalization and creating deeper connections with audiences.
Peter Morgan, Marketing and CRM Director at AC Milan, shared the club’s strategy of using fashion to enhance its relevance and create new business opportunities. By positioning AC Milan as a cultural brand rather than just a football club, the club aims to tap into fashion’s global reach, with 60% of fashion purchases made by individuals under 29 and 60% coming from outside Italy. This strategy has contributed to the club’s global success, demonstrating how sports organizations can leverage cultural trends for commercial impact.
The second day of the conference began with a screening of the documentary film Dragon from Koseze about Goran Dragić, followed by a passionate debate titled Beyond Sponsorship: Unpacking Impact and Effectiveness. The discussion featured Tijana Popadić (SportIT), Valentina Erčulj Džuban (Atlantic Group), and Katarina Košmrlj Muha (Mediana), who summarized key trends and takeaways from the SPORTO Awards projects and touched on challenges connected to measurement and sponsorship impact.
Jonathan Potts from Two Circles presented The Anatomy of the Fan, emphasizing the need to understand fan behavior to capture more attention. “We are consuming more sport than ever before. Fans come for the athletes, but they stay for the community,” he explained. Potts highlighted the importance of building fan advocacy through knowledge, which transforms casual fans into passionate supporters.
Pedro Oliveira Cortez de Miranda presented one of the top sports properties in the world, LaLiga, which is watched in 185 countries and has entered into an exciting collaboration with the leading franchise in the sports video game industry, EA Sports. “The goal of the partnership is to create the most revolutionary and disruptive association in football history,” he said. How? By having LaLiga drive business growth and add value across broadcasting, synergies with the esports world, and activation, while also supporting communities through pitch renovations, grassroots initiatives, equipment donations, scholarships, training programs, and over 60 annual campaigns. “We want to make a difference!” concluded Miranda.
Sharon Fuller from the NBA EMEA explained how the NBA is expanding its digital strategy, especially through localized content. With players like Luka Dončić gaining massive popularity on social media, the NBA is adapting its content to resonate with regional audiences. Fuller emphasized that the NBA’s success lies in listening to local communities and staying connected to basketball culture.
In the final session of the event, Branko Čakarmiš (PRO Plus) discussed the changing TV landscape and how content consumption has evolved over the last decade. Čakarmiš predicted that sports clubs would develop their platforms to engage core fans directly, bypassing traditional media. “Sports must become even more spectacular to captivate audiences and adapt to the evolving media landscape,” he said.
The event was expertly hosted by Matej Praprotnik and Saša Jerković, whose encyclopedic knowledge of sports, athletes, and media brought a light-hearted touch to the 20th edition of the conference.
For more insights, please check the interviews with speakers on our Instagram and follow our channels for post-conference long reads.
